The Flow of Business

THE FLOW OF BUSINESS

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You know what does not generally change……………….PEOPLE! Sure, we may change physical aspects of ourselves, patterns, and perceptions as we learn, but our core self remains relatively intact. While people differ in aspects relative to their individuality & motivation, there are some sacred truths and desires most people want:

·????????Kindness & Decency

·????????Fairness, flexibility, & consistency

·????????Happiness

·????????Opportunity & Growth

·????????Financial stability

Let’s stop talking in always, must, every time, have to, and the like because if you do, you will be forever disappointed. Your employees will not “always” fit into the box and the narrative that you want (and its OK), and leaders struggle with this. Owners, Leaders, Supervisors, Employees fight this battle daily and many fail to reach their comfortability point or understanding. When staff do not fall into the desired narrative, frustration ensues, and dysfunction is created, and flow interrupted. It is important to understand and practice that the flow of business and people work hand in hand. In presentations to businesses I have conducted, I utilized a simple “show and tell” describing a circle which represents your business. The outskirts of that circle represent components of your business and for the circle to be effective it continues its steady flow around and around. Once a component is interrupted the circle suffers a stoppage of that flow whether it be a person, process, machine, design, or department. Attention becomes warranted to gain the flow back and repair the temporarily weak component whichever it may be.

A simple example is shopping at a grocery store and the bagger is not available. This represents a break in the business flow. Do you bag for oneself for efficiency, or does one wait for the cashier to tally up the bill and then have them bag? In either event, the flow is interrupted and the business cycle effected. It also exemplifies the importance of each employee and the job they do. Whatever job an individual is responsible for is a critical component to the flow of your business. In simple terms, this example is no different than in your daily business. Breaks in flow are a natural occurrence to business and people but do provide opportunity for understanding, growth, and future direction. If one component has been interrupted yet the other components areas are running smoothly, this allows you to back off (while still maintaining) in order to focus your attention on the broken component which has caused the business flow issue. Do not fear business and people flow issues, embrace them to learn as much as you embrace success to understand and adapt. I do not subscribe to the notion that one must fail to grow and learn. Both success and failure can equally provide opportunity for growth and learning!

Now this is no one’s fault and there is no one to blame because breaks in flow are a natural part of the life and business process. From a people perspective, it is simply human nature and human nature is far from being perfect in the business world, or any world. Understanding the people flow in conjunction with your business flow are equally important as they work in tandem together.

Leaders need not become employee therapists and babysitters for their staff as this yields nothing but complacency and false expectation. Knowing and understanding what motivates your employees is important and is essential to engage leaders that grasp this concept and assists in maintaining the business flow. Remember, there are individual generalities that we each share so devising successful people plans is not a deviant to efficiency, it’s a path to efficacy. Now, these concepts also presume that you have hired employees knowledgeable and skilled at what they do! This being said, the job still needs to get done accompanied with accountability and responsibility which is as much a part of the concept as any other relevant component. This is a direct result of hiring the right people to drive your business and contribute to that consistent flow. Let us not forget to weed out the flows that are a consistent detriment to business flow whether it be a toxic employee, a machine maintenance issue, or a poor and inconsistent process.

Gone are the days of leaders slamming their fist on tables and yelling (adult tantrums) as a means of motivating anyone! While you may still be out there, I can assure you that this is not directing your leaders or team on the path of success and is most certainly interrupting the flow. At times, EGO invades the path of sensibility. Having been caught in the mire of “trickle down management frustration” many times during my career, I can understand how it trickles down through the ranks and without effective leadership, problems arise and multiply. Stay away from this!

Board – Executive Mgt. – Leadership – Supervisors – Employees

What kind of a leader and person do you want to be? Do you want to be feared or respected? Most assuredly you will attain stronger loyalty, retention, and forthrightness by respect. The actions and leaders you have chosen will play a part in dictating you and your organizations direction and are a direct reflection of you and your business.

Work with your teams in this on-going process to substantiate your business and the people that work within it. Understand the prime components of your business flow, your leaders and staff will maintain the intricacies of these components as their day to day responsibilities. Develop an understanding of your business flow, map it out in whatever fashion works for you and the components of your business. Understand it, explain the connections and flow, adapt and develop your plan of success!

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